Recommended Montessori and Non-Montessori Toddler Books!
 

Awakening Your Toddler's Love of Learning
by Jan Katzen-Lucenta (A Montessori toddler teacher!)

"The author's story-telling ability and strong advocacy skills help the reader enter the world of the toddler."--Rebecca Janke, The Public School Montessorian

"Great for Parents and Montessorians.
"This book is easy to read. The author is Montessori trained and provides 125 activities that you can do in your home or classroom. Even if you only implement half of her advice you will really be supporting your child in a practical way and you will love the results."--Kristen Jawad  (Amazon.com customer review.)

"For children, playing is learning, and this appealing book is filled with more than 60 Montessori-inspired play-and-learn ideas that parents and kids can enjoy together. The games are arranged progressively, starting with simple games for infants and advancing to games and activities suitable for active toddlers. Each game description includes instructions for play, items and materials needed, and suggested related play activities for parents and their toddlers."

"An incredibly useful resource that has provided me with so many stimulating ideas for the toddlers at my daycare. It has also saved me a lot of time in trying to think of age-appropriate craft activities which are also theme based, interesting and fun. 
Well worth purchasing." (Amazon.com customer review.)

"Being a new mom of a toddler I really needed help with activities for my son. This book is great. The information and charts are a great way to keep take of my son's development. A must for new moms." (Amazon.com customer review.)

"This is one of the best books that I have found for infants and toddlers. I really like the way that they not only break down the ages but also the developmental areas. The book makes it very easy to make lesson plans but it also makes it easy to pick out activties to do with your young child. These authors have done a wonderful job with this book and also the Creavtive Resources book for 3-5 year olds. I had the 3-5 year version along with others resource books that were made available to my teachers in a child care setting to use for making lesson plans and Creative Resources was the one that was used most often." (Amazon.com customer review.)

"The psychic life in the new-born has already aroused great interest. The conclusion of research is that the first two years of life are the most important. So here begins a new path, wherein it will not be the professor [the teacher] who teaches the child but the child who teaches the professor [the teacher]."--Nienhuis Books & Publications 

"At less than 100 pages, this book is easy to take in, while still containing fundamental principles of Montessori's theory of education, especially as relevant to 3- to 6-year-olds. The writing is engaging, not academic. I can easily recommend it to be the first or only book by Dr. Montessori for the parent of a toddler to read."--Reviewer: Brad S. Williams (Portland, OR USA) 
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Publisher: Theosophical Publishing House; (June 1974); hardcover edition buy used

"This does say "For teachers, by teachers" on the cover so it isn't surprising most of the ideas are more suited for classroom settings. If you like to have a lot of resources as a parent, it's nice. For a teacher, it would be more useful." (Amazon.com customer review.)

"I bought this as a companion to The Creative Curriculum for Infants, Toddlers, and Two. I found everything in the book useful! I have taught a preschool class and since then worked in a home daycare for the past 2 years. The projects are easy to do, yet interesting and fun!"  (Amazon.com customer review.)

"I love this book. I checked book after book of toddler crafts and toddler play out of the library, but most of them made me think, "hmm, anyone could have thought of that." This is not one of those books. 

"I know this sounds ridiculous, but this book is helping me be a better parent. There is nothing like the total absorption of an art project to help me be fully present with my daughter. Other times I might physically be with her, but my mind is at least partly elsewhere, thinking adult thoughts, worrying mostly, I suppose, but while doing these art projects, I truly am with her in the moment, and smiling and laughing more than I have in ages." (Amazon.com customer review.)

"These activities help young children develop powerful brain architecture, a positive, confident self-image, and early reading, writing, math, and science skills - a great preparation for success in school. Most activities use common items parents may already have or which can be easily and inexpensively obtained."

"John Bowman's most rewarding work was being a Montessori primary teacher and center Director. He opened three new Montessori preschool programs and was the first Director of the Garfield Montessori School in Denver, Colorado. His goals now are to encourage parents to do early learning activities with their children and to show them how."

From the Back Cover
“A major and timely contribution to the early childhood years—anecdotal, rich in insight and experience, practical and useful. This informed, careful, and intelligent response to the unfolding of personality will peak parents’ interest as they learn how to establish healthy, enjoyable, and sustaining relationships with their children. A must for parents-to-be, nannies, and care-givers.” —Virginia McHugh Goodwin, Executive Director, Association Montessori International, U.S.A. 

About the Author
"Paula Polk Lillard and her daughter, Lynn Lillard Jessen, co-founded the Forest Bluff School in Lake Bluff, Illinois, a Montessori school for children through the eighth grade. Paula is the principal of the school, and she and Lynn teach the parent child course, a workshop for parents on the Montessori approach for children from birth to age three. They live in Lake Forest, Illinois." More...

"Parents often wonder what activities they can do with their children to help them learn, this book is crammed with great ideas! The activities are mostly simple to set-up, they are fun for the kids and help kids learn a variety of skills. Every parent of an under-five should own this book. " (Amazon.com customer review.)

"Montessori Play and Learn is packed with ideas, activities, and games that can fit into your normal routine and help supplement preschool learning for your child.... this book provides valuable tips and insights that help parents and children grow and learn together.
-- Learn dozens of games and activities to help prepare children for mathematics, reading, science, and writing
-- Make your home environment as stimulating for your child as the best Montessori preschool..." (Amazon.com, editorial review.) More...

From Booklist
"Crain, a developmental psychologist, laments the ceaseless schedule of activities for most American children that leaves them little time and energy for the typical childhood pursuits of a less restless and ambitious age. Crain worries that by focusing so much on preparing children for a competitive future, we are stunting their growth and neglecting their here-and-now needs and desires. He specifically examines current trends, from emphasis on standardized tests to the birth-to-three early-development movement, and contrasts them with the child-centered philosophies of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, John Dewey, Maria Montessori, Jean Piaget, and David Elkind. He advocates a more natural learning rhythm and an environment that takes advantage of children's own natural curiosity, with adults providing an "unobtrusive presence." Crain offers advice, based on research and interviews with parents and children, on how parents and educators can provide a more child-centered model for education that takes cues from the children themselves and respects their efforts to learn on their own. A thoughtful and valuable resource for parents and teachers looking for alternative approaches to education."-- Vanessa Bush

"[This book...] made me recall the year I spent conducting research in preschool classrooms. I visited many wonderful preschools, but I remember being particularly struck by the atmosphere in the Montessori classroom I visited. There was a sense of calm there that I have never seen anywhere else. At first it seemed eerie; surely these kids were being coerced into behaving so quietly and going about their business in such an orderly graceful way. I remember in particular the child who was bringing around a tray of nuts that he had shelled and offering them graciously to the other children. But the longer I stayed, the more I realized that this deep sense of peacefulness originated from the kids' satisfaction in being allowed to choose their own tasks at their own pace." (Amazon.com customer review.) More...

"While playing, doodling, and just being a kid, your children can also be practicing muscle control, concentration, orderliness, and other basics that will help them later on. Barbara's insights will inspire you. And her time - saving techniques will convince you that even marathon moms have time to make the most of their toddler's natural energy and potential for success."--Forward by Dr. William Sears

"This is a book I've turned to over and over again, to help me regain my perspective on my two children (born 14 months apart), or to glean some comfort, inspiration, advice, or encouragement. I've loaned it out more than 10 times, and have given it as a gift at countless baby showers. I've never met a person who writes so compassionately, affectionately and respectfully to parents and about toddlers, and her insights cast the Terrible Two's in an entirely different light. I don't consider myself deeply religious, but Mrs. Curtis' tone was not the least bit offensive, and she radiates love and common-sense wisdom." (Amazon.com customer review.)

"A book that offers numerous activities as well as a wealth of information for anyone instituting early childhood programs. The first chapter discusses emergent literacy and the role books play in this critical time. Sections on "making the right selections" and "techniques for reading books" will be especially valuable to new librarians, early childhood teachers, and other adults interested in promoting age-appropriate material. Separate chapters are devoted to books for infants, toddlers, and twos. For each title, there is a story synopsis, reading hints, and several suggestions to enhance the program. The activities, or "story stretchers," include object play, music, movement, and more. Practical ideas for teaching songs, reading to diverse age groups, and encouraging independence are just a few of the helpful tips that make up the bulk of the book."--Suzanne Crowder, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. 

"This is an extrememly concise, but informative and entertaining video about how crucial it is that early on children get interaction with adults that can aid their brain development."--Amazon.com reviewer

"Truly amazing information. Forget all the fancy toys and games for our babies and children. Let's give them what they really need. This DVD explains child development in easy to understand terms."--Amazon.com reviewer

"This book contains 365 activities (one for each day of the year) for one-and-a-half to three-year-olds using things found around the home. It shows parents and day-care providers how to: 

"Prevent boredom during the longest stretches of indoor weather with ideas for indoor play, kitchen activities, and arts and crafts projects. 
Stimulate a child's natural curiosity with entertaining math, language, and motor-skills activities. Encourage a child's physical, mental, and emotional growth with ideas for fun music, food, water, and outdoor activities. Keep toddlers occupied during long car trips or cross-town errands. 

"The Toddler's Busy Book is written with warmth and sprinkled with humor and insight. It should be required reading for anyone raising or teaching toddlers."--Product Description